Should the President use Yemen and Somalia as models for operations against IS/ISIS/ISIL?

While Yemen and Syria have not featured prominently in American media for many years, it is important to remember some key facts regarding the current state of security in both Yemen and Somalia where both al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) consistently conduct attacks at will throughout the country, including large-scale attacks. Both groups are also currently holding Westerners hostage and have continued to expand their attacks beyond their home countries.

In Somalia attacks occur on average 2.3 times a day and kill on average four people a day. In Yemen attacks occur two times a day and kill on average five people a day.


SOMALIA
• So far in 2014 as of 10 Sep., there have been 840+ terrorist/rebel attacks killing 1,424+ people and injuring 724+ people in Somalia
• Over the course of the past year al-Shabaab has conducted the largest expansion in its history into five neighboring countries while continuing an insurgent campaign in Somalia.
• Currently holding publicly-acknowledged hostages from the UK and US

YEMEN
• So far in 2014 as of 10 Sep., there have been 730+ terrorist/rebel attacks killing 1,728+ people and injuring 854+ people in Yemen
• AQAP has dramatically expanded the size and scale of its attacks, now making frequent use of large-scale complex assaults against fortified military sites.
• Continued its expansion around the world while simultaneously fighting an insurgent campaign in Yemen
• Rose in profile to taking on a greater global role in conjunction with core al-Qaeda
• Currently holding publicly-acknowledged hostages from the US, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Iran, Djibouti and Sierra Leone

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/11/politics/obama-speech-5-takeaways/index.html?hpt=hp_c2